Accident Details
On September 2, 2008, at about 1645 Pacific daylight time, a Lancair Propjet single-engine airplane, registration N750PJ, experienced a loss of engine power after takeoff from Camarillo Airport (CMA) in Camarillo, California. The aircraft was substantially damaged during the subsequent forced landing. The commercial pilot and a pilot-rated passenger sustained minor injuries. The airplane was registered to Sierra Pacific Holdings Inc. of Malibu, California, and was being operated by the pilot under 14 CFR Part 91 as a local test flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed.
Pilot Report
The pilot reported that shortly after takeoff from runway 26, during the transition from climb to cruise, he increased the angle of climb to avoid nearby traffic. At an altitude between 800 and 1,000 feet above ground level, the engine lost power. The pilot stated that the engine "just quit" with no gradual reduction in engine sounds or indications on the gauges. White smoke was observed coming from the exhaust stacks. The pilot initiated a forced landing and performed a 180-degree turn toward runway 08. He landed within the eastern end of the runway 08 overrun area, maintaining airspeed to avoid overrun barriers. After clearing the barriers, the airplane touched down, and the pilot applied maximum braking. During the landing roll, the airplane exited the overrun area, struck a dirt pile, and nosed over.
Examination Findings
A Federal Aviation Administration inspector examined the aircraft and found it inverted about 100 feet beyond the overrun area. The outboard three feet of the left wing was mostly separated, and the rudder was partially separated from the vertical stabilizer. Fuel was observed leaking at the accident site.
The airframe and Diemech Walter 601D turbine engine were examined by the pilot under NTSB supervision. The condition lever moved freely. All fuel lines were intact and secure. The intake screen was removed, and the first-stage axial compressor was inspected with a lighted borescope; no damage or foreign debris was found. The inner combustion chamber, compressor nozzles, and compressor turbine blades were similarly inspected with no damage or debris observed. The start nozzle contained small traces of liquid consistent with jet fuel. The exhaust was removed, and the power turbine was examined; no damage was noted to the turbine blades, but the turbine wheel would not rotate freely due to impact-related damage to the engine case. Dirt was observed within the turbine section. Forward and aft chip detectors were free of metal particles, and the oil filter showed no metallic particles.
All four fuel control unit bleed drains were examined. Clear tubes were attached, and the fuel system was manually activated repeatedly. A significant amount of air bubbles was observed within the fuel on all four drains during activation. Dirt and sand debris inside the engine were removed, and mechanical continuity was established throughout. A full engine start and run-up were not performed due to propeller blade damage.
The fuel filter was removed and found to contain a small amount of debris and liquid consistent with Jet A fuel. Liquid drained from the left wing was also consistent with Jet A fuel. The belly fuel tank was drained, revealing a red liquid consistent with a mix of Jet A fuel and hydraulic fluid. The pilot noted that the aircraft's undercarriage was heavily damaged during the accident and the airplane had been inverted for an extended period, which may have allowed hydraulic fluid to drain into the belly tank where the fuel sump was located.